Blue Paw – Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance

The Blue Paw Award

The Blue Paw Award is accessible to all Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance members. To complete the award, members must first complete all online courses available through Vet Stream, including a final exam.

The Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance affiliates all receivers of the Blue Paw Award with the rewarding of a certificate, material and pin badge.

Members who have received the Blue Paw Award should wear their badges with pride, as they now have the sufficient knowledge to improve OA care in their veterinary practice.

Blue Paw Award members will also be listed on this website page. This is expected to happen in 2024. Keep your eyes peeled for updates.

Course Content

Here you can find the list of course titles available through Vet Stream. All eight courses must be completed first before accessing the final exam.

Session 1: Aetiology, Pathophysiology

Session 2: Diagnostics

Session 3: Pathophysiology of Pain, Pain Management, Future Therapies

Session 4: Intra-Articular Injections

Session 5: Nutrition & Weight Management, Nutraceuticals

Session 6: Complementary Therapies

Session 7: Surgery

Session 8: Monitoring

Final Exam: To attain Blue Paw Individual Member Award.

The Numbers Behind The Blue Paw Award

Blue Paw Awards

Vets

Nurse

Physio

Therapist

Traumatologist

Clinical Director

Testimonials

Our members share their experiences of the Blue Paw Award. From gaining invaluable insights to mastering essential skills, and making meaningful strides in the field of veterinary osteoarthritis care.

If you would like to be featured on our testimonial page or find out more information, email [email protected].

Kim - Macoby Clinical Canine Massage

"Being both a Registered Vet Nurse & clinical canine massage therapist I have found the VOA to be a really useful resource for anything canine arthritis related. The blue paw course was both informative & useful for my day to day work giving me more confidence to help advise clients on how to cope/manage with their dogs day to day life. Highly recommended".

Suzanne - Greenside Veterinary Practice

"I thoroughly enjoyed completing the Blue Paw award. The course covers everything arthritis related- from pathophysiology of OA and chronic pain, to all aspects of management including weight management, surgical options, intra-articular therapies and alternative therapies. I would recommend the course for anyone looking to expand their knowledge on OA management".

Nicola - Boundary Vets

"I am glad that I took the time to do the Blue Paw Award. I found the course very interesting; it served as a useful refresher for some aspects regarding arthritis but also a great source of new information in others. In addition, I appreciate having the blue paw badge to wear, to show clients that I have undertaken further study in osteoarthritis management. Since my main area of interest is pain management and that one of the most common causes of chronic pain is osteoarthritis in both cats and dogs, the material covered by the course fits very well alongside my pain management work and acupuncture clinics".

Charlotte - Riverside Veterinary Practice

“I have been a veterinary physiotherapist for over 6 years, working in primary care practices and referral hospitals and I really enjoyed completing the Blue Paw Award. The variety of webinars, podcasts and lectures from specialists speakers kept the content engaging and interesting. It was especially great to learn so much about the emerging research surrounding osteoarthritis.”

Maria - H2HOWL Physiotherapy

"I highly recommend becoming a member of the Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance, the course content was amazing! I learned so much and it enabled me to further my studies in Canine Osteoarthritis and Animal Physiotherapy".

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Member Log In

Veterinary Osteoarthritis Alliance members can log in to Vet Stream here and access the Blue Paw Award.

Remember, your progress is saved to ensure you can complete the courses at your own pace!